WXXI News, Rochester, New York’s NPR station asked the question: Why are we still interested in centuries-old myths? Host Evan Dawson interviews Jeff about Krampus, The Fright Before Christmas, and other holiday myths and legends on his Connections program. You can hear the interview here: https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connections/2024-12-12/why-are-we-interested-in-centuries-old-myths
Mike Hsu from The Pike FM in Worcester, Massachusetts, interviews author, adventurer, and self-proclaimed certified weirdo, Jeff Belanger! 🎄👻 Jeff dives into his latest book, The Fright Before Christmas, exploring the spooky, dark history of the holiday season. From ghostly traditions to eerie folklore, Jeff shares fascinating insights and stories. He also discusses his upcoming live appearances, where you can experience his storytelling magic in person this holiday season. Don’t miss this entertaining and unique take on Christmas! You can hear the interview below:
Author and New England Legends Co-host Jeff Belanger stops by to talk with Ray Auger on Local Raydio to discuss his show at the Singh Performance Center in Whitinsville on Saturday December 7th. Get your tickets here… https://www.openskycs.org/news-events/events/valleycast-hosts-the-fright-before-christmas-with-jeff-belanger-/ You can listen to the interview here: https://soundcloud.com/localraydio/ray-in-the-morning-jeff-belanger
Jeff Belanger joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath on the radio to discuss the weird. In the town of Westford, Massachusetts, as far back as the mid-19th century, locals discovered a stone carving on a rock face that appeared to show a figure of a person. They debated whether it was carved long ago by Native Americans or more recently by local kids. It remained a local curiosity until the late 1930s, when a researcher looking for evidence of Viking expeditions to America paid a visit to Westford and declared the figure was a European-style sword. Of course, when talking about Massachusetts legends, myths and folklore, there’s no better person to turn to than Jeff Belanger, folklore expert and host of the New England Legends podcast. He joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath for a closer look at the Westford Knight. What follows is a lightly edited transcript. You can listen to the segment and read the transcript here: https://www.wgbh.org/culture/2024-10-26/in-westford-mass-wild-and-controversial-theories-surround-a-stone-carvings-origins
Jeff Belanger joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath on the radio to discuss the weird. If we were to ask you to name the possibly real water monster with humps, you’d surely say the Loch Ness Monster. But by the time this interview is over, your answer should be the Gloucester Sea Serpent. Our local monster is arguably even older and more widely witnessed than Nessie. For a deep dive into the Gloucester Sea Serpent, there’s no better guide than local folklore expert and host of the “New England Legends” podcast Jeff Belanger. He joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to discuss this chapter of cryptozoology. What follows is a lightly edited transcript. You can listen to the segment and read the transcript here: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2024-05-22/regaling-tales-of-the-gloucester-sea-serpent-a-forgotten-legend-of-cryptozoology
Jeff Belanger was back as a guest on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory for hours three and four of the May 16, 2024 program discussing New England Legends and weirdness. Coast Insiders can listen to the replay of the show: https://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2024-05-16-show/
Jeff Belanger joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath on the radio to discuss the weird. In April of 1977, about 15 miles south of Boston, a very strange thing appeared at night that put the town of Dover on the map in the world of cryptozoology, the study and search for legendary creatures. Multiple teen drivers reported seeing an unidentifiable, alien-like creature with glowing eyes over the course of two days. As word of these sightings spread, so did the legend of the “Dover Demon.” GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath spoke about the Dover Demon with Jeff Belanger, a folklore expert and host of the “New England Legends” podcast. You can listen to the segment and read the transcript here: https://www.wgbh.org/culture/2024-04-29/nearly-half-a-century-later-dover-demon-mystery-still-puzzles-enthusiasts?72
Jeff Belanger joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath on the radio to discuss the weird. Hallmark cards and Coca-Cola ads tend to dwell on the happy and cheerful side of Christmas. But there’s always been a dark side. The fear of St. Nick putting coal in stockings for misbehaving and even creepier, the old man watching you day and night, tracking your misdeeds. If you dig deeper into tradition, it’s darker still. The original St. Nick had an enforcer to take care of the bad kids: Krampus, a terrifying horned Christmas devil who whips misbehaving children before carrying them off to hell. And that’s not the only creepy holiday tradition out there. GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath spoke with local author and folklore expert Jeff Belanger, who dives into the legend of Krampus and other frightening Christmas characters in his newest book, “The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters.” You can listen to the segment and read the transcript here: https://www.wgbh.org/culture/books/2023-12-22/folklore-expert-explores-the-legend-of-krampus-and-holiday-monsters-in-the-fright-before-christmas
Mike Hsu from 100FM The Pike Jeff Belanger is the host of the podcast new England Legends and the show on Amazon Prime. He is an expert on all things creepy and paranormal. His new book, “A Fright Before Christmas” explores the myths and legends from past centuries that eventually formed what we know as Christmas today. Listen to the interview here. Or listen below:
Jeff joins Spaced Out Radio host Dave Scott to discuss the holidays, ghosts, and Jeff’s latest book: The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters. Spaced Out Radio is nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio stations and livestreamed online. You can watch the interview here:
